Wicked Words
by GreenField
Summary: Another one shot, follow-on to I Will Be and Masked. Set from Elphaba's POV during most of Defying Gravity the rest is in Masked , Wicked Witch of The East and Wonderful. Please read! Musical.


A/N - Right, so, I have an explanation to make. The last chapter was supposed to have ALL of Defying Gravity on it, but as my wonderfully wonderful (hehe, that is very appropriate for what's coming next) best friend Alexie pointed out, it didn't, due to my own stupid mistake (it was so stupid you don't even wanna know!). So, this chapter has the rest of defying gravity, as well as Wonderful and Wicked Witch of the East (Thank you to my mum there for buying me the Grimmerie - otherwise I so wouldn't remember all the lines in WWOTE!). The lines might not be exact, by the way - I like to make it a little different.

Once again, all show format and songs belong to Stephen Schwarz and Winnie Holzman. The characters belong to Gregory Maguire. I do not own Wicked - unfortunately I haven't been able to persuade my parents to buy it for me since the last time I wrote. Darn them!

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"I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy now! I hope you're happy now you've lost your cause forever, I hope you think you're clever!" she explodes. I gape at her, horrified by her hypocrisy.

"Well I hope you're happy! I hope you're happy too! I hope you're proud how you would…how you would grovel in submission, to feed your own ambition!"

We stand there, staring each other down until I see out of the corner of my eye the broom that my levitation spell must have enchanted, hovering. It floats between us, and I feel the change within me at the sight of what my power can do. It's as if a huge weight had been lifted from me - I'm free, and I don't have to listen anymore. I explain this to Glinda, and I am tempted to leave her behind, so that she truly understands my frustration. But when I look into her stunned and nervous eyes, sparkling and green as my skin, I know that I can't do it.

"Glinda, come with me. Think of what we could do…together" I plead. My attempts to persuade her are futile, even though I have our freedom literally in my hands. She backs away from me, hand clapped over her mouth, eyes wide with shock over what she almost agreed to.

As the Gale Force hammer on the attic door, trying to batter it down, Glinda drapes a black blanket around my shoulders and fastens it neatly. As I rise, I feel the strength in every move I make. The cape floats about my shoulders, the hat stands tall on my head and the broom feels magical in my hand. The door come crashing down. I back into the shadows, but they grab Glinda. She doesn't squeal like usual. Instead she squirms crossly in their tight grasp.

"Oh get _off _me!" she growls. The do not release their grip. I sigh, step out of my hiding place, and smile triumphantly.

"It's not her you want. It's me. It's me!" I can feel the spell causing me to rise, higher and higher, my skirt and cloak forming a huge tent around me. I raise the broom high, full of power. The guards stumble, fall, and shield their eyes as if I am a blinding beam of sunlight. Glinda, eyes overflowing with tears, calls out to me, and I can barely hear her through my own words.

"I hope you're happy" she calls, but in a kind way, in a way that means she doesn't want me to leave. I shoot her one last look, one last smile, and disappear into the darkness.

Well, it seems like darkness to everyone else, but to me, it is the bright glow of escape.

************

I shift crossly, trying not to be too loud. If that oaf Boq sees me…well, I'm pretty much dead. I'm not sure that Nessa will be any better.

I hear Boq's final cutting word as he leaves the room - 'Madam'. I hear Nessarose call after him loudly, and then, silence. I peer through the minuscule crack between the two cupboard doors. Heaven only knows how I ended up in Nessa' cupboard - I was aiming for her room, so I could surprise her, and speak to her alone. She is looking anxiously at herself in a small, jewelled hand mirror. It reminds me of Glinda, and I feel a sharp pang in my chest that had nothing to do with being cramped in a cupboard. Many years have passed since Glinda and I parted. Since then, she has become the figurehead of Oz, Glinda the Good, much admired in the Emerald city. Last I heard, Fiyero was with her. Like I care. But I do care about how people think of me now. I have been dubbed as The Wicked Witch of the West. I hope it wasn't Glinda who decided this. Or Fiyero. Not that I care about him. Yet my mind still wanders, still lingers, back to that day with the lion cub.

Eventually,(Okay, after about two seconds), her look of horror as she looks into the reflective glass starts to irritate me.

"It seems the beautiful get more beautiful" I call from my claustrophobic space, "Whereas the green…just get greener"

Nessarose gives a start of shock, almost dropping the mirror. Guilt envelopes me almost instantly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" I ask anxiously, bursting my way out of the cupboard. Nessa gives a little scream.

"What are you doing here?" it is as I suspected - she certainly doesn't sound happy to see me. She sounds..angry.

"Well, there's no place like home" I say nervously. My fear melts away and I run to her side.

"Oh. Nessa, I'm so glad to see you!" I cry, kneeling beside the arm of her chair. She glares at me.

"What are you doing here?" she repeats. I swallow audibly.

"I need to see Father, I need his help. Oh, Nessa, please, where is he?"

"That's not possible" snaps Nessa. I frown.

"Please, Nessa, he'll do it for you, you know he w-"

"Father's dead!" Nessarose explodes. I gasp. I don't know what I should be feeling right now.

"Father's dead" says Nessa, softer this time, "I'm the Governor now"

"Then, Nessa, you can help me! It's better this way!"

"That's a wicked thing to say!"

"No, no, it isn't! Don't you see Nessa, it can be just us, like it always was! We're better like this, you know we are!" I try to convince her eagerly. Nessarose's face twists with rage.

"And why should I help you? You fly around on that horrible broomstick, saving Animals you've never met, but never once, not _once _have you used your powers to rescue me!" I stand up and back away as she rounds on me in her wheelchair, "All of my life I depended on you, how do you think that feels? All of my life I depended on you and this hideous chair with wheels! Scrounging for scraps of pity to..pick up. And longing to kick up, my heels…."

"Nessa, the power is mysterious. There isn't a spell for everything, it's not like simply enchanting a pair of sh-" I stop, pulling out the Grimmerie from the satchel thrown over my chest , "Wait - Ambulahn Dare Pahto Pahpoot Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Pede Pede Caldapess, Ambulahn Dare Pahto Pahpoot Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Pede Pede Caldapess" I chant, reading the text. I hear Nessarose's faint cry, then a second, louder exclamation.

"Oh, my _shoes_! What have you done to my _shoes_?! It feels like they're on _fire_!" she screams as I finish my incantation and look worriedly at her. The shoes change from a sparkling silver to a glowing red, and, suddenly, Nessarose stands up. Delight flows through me. Nessarose stumbles and I run to help her, but she demands to move alone and stands up, as clumsy as a newborn deer.

"Oh, Nessa, at last, I've done what long ago I should! And finally, from these powers something good! Finally, something good!" I cry happily. Nessa snatches up a small silver bell from the table she is leaning on and rings is loudly, repeatedly.

"Boq! Boq, come quickly, you must see this!" she calls. I shake my head frantically.

"Nessa, no, no-one can know that I'm here -" I am cut off abruptly by Boq, who, upon seeing me, has grabbed what appears to be some form of cutlery and is brandishing it at me threateningly.

"You!" he yells. I shake my head again.

"No, Boq, it's me, it's Elphaba" I gabble rapidly. Boq turns the piece of silver first on me, then to Nessarose.

"You're lying, that's all you ever do, you and your sister both! She's as wicked as you are! Ever since she took over she's been stripping the munchkins of their rights! And we didn't have all that many to begin with!" He accuses. Nessa smiles at him excitedly, ignoring his words.

"Look, Boq!" she says happily, rising from her chair once more. Boq gives a cry of delight similar to my own a few moments ago. He drops what he is holding and rushes to Nessa, forgetting that I am even there. They clasp hands, Nessa smiling shyly. But I am suspicious.

"Oh, Nessa, this changes everything!" says Boq joyfully. Nessarose gives a girlish giggle.

"I know" she says sweetly. Boq looks at her nervously.

"Listen, Nessa?" he begins.

"Yes?" Nessarose responds eagerly.

"Uh Nessa, surely now I'll matter less to you and you won't mind me leaving here tonight?"

Nessarose's face falls, smile faltering, "Leaving?" she lets go of his hands.

"Yes - the ball that's being staged..announcing Glinda is engaged to Fiyero-"

At the same as Nessa gasps, "Glinda!" my mouth shapes Fiyero's name with horror. Nessarose staggers over to me, leaning on the table. I hold my hand out to comfort her.

"Yes, Nessa, that's right. And I've got to go appeal to her, express the way I feel to her…Oh, Nessa, I lost my heart to Glinda the moment I first saw her, you know that"

The look of fury that disfigures Nessa's face alarms me, "Lost your heart? Well, we'll see about that" she hisses. Boq looks a little frightened.

"Nessa, let him go-" I plead. Nessa's teeth snap together in angry sneer.

"Did you think I'd let you leave me here flat?!" she demands incredulously, taking a step closer.

"Don't come any nearer!" Boq squeaks

"You'll lose your heart to me I tell you! If I have to-" her gaze flickers to the Grimmerie, still sitting on the floor, "I have to - magic spell you!" she grabs the book, while I'm still frozen.

"Ah Tum Core Tum Ah Tum Tah Tayk" she says hesitantly.

"Nessa, stop! It's dangerous!" I cry.

"Ah toom core tum!"

"What, what's she doing?!" Boq panics, "Oh, my heart! It feels like it's shrinking!" he cries, yelping in pain as he clutches his chest. He collapses to the ground. Nessarose screams in panic.

"Elphaba! Save him, please, just save him, my poor Boq, my dear sweet brave him, don not leave me, 'til my sorry life has ceased…" she begs. I help a unconscious Boq into Nessarose's chair and wheel him behind Nessa's dress screen. There is only one way to save him now, and all though it is cruel, he'll die otherwise.

"Vivahlos Vivahlos Meno Non Cordo Meno Vivahlos Vivahlos Meno Non Cordo" I chant, and over my spell work I can hear Nessa singing softly to herself, heartbroken.

"Alone and loveless here, just the girl in the mirror, just her and me…the Wicked Witch of the East! We deserve each other" although she sounds forlorn I can't bring myself to love her anymore. I know that I still do, deep down, but I can't feel it now. I take one last, long look at Boq, the tin man, his new silver metal body gleaming.

"Is he alright? What about his heart?" asks Nessa anxiously. I keep my expression blank.

"He won't need one now" I say slowly. I turn to leave.

"No, Elphaba, please stay!" Nessa cries.

"No, Nessa. All I've ever done is try to help you. And you always want more. I'm done here"

***

I haven't been to the Emerald city for a long time. I crouch, hidden, watching Fiyero and Glinda dance. Neither of them look particularly happy, which confuses me. They bow and curtsey to each other, then depart. I am now free to enter the Wizard's chamber without detection.

The worst thing is that it hasn't changed. The monkeys, all with wings sprouting from their backs, rattle the bars of their cage manically. I reach for the lever to free them, and the Wizard appears. I take a tiny jump backwards. My time is up, I am sure of it. Until I see his face.

"Elphaba….I'm so glad you came back. Please give me another chance - I can help you"

I keep silent and shake my head, lips pressed into a thin red line. He starts to explain to me his innocence with song. I barely listen.

"See, I never had a family of my own, so I guess I just wanted to give the citizens of Oz…everything" he said thoughtfully.

"So you lied to them?" I snapped. The Wizard shakes his head frantically.

"Only verbally. Besides, they were the lies that they wanted to hear! Where I'm from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it history"

I scowl, standing perfectly rigid and still, eyes raised to the ceiling, pretending that I don't care what he is saying. But something niggles at the back of my mind as his voice becomes low and persuasive.

"At long, long last receive your due long overdue..Elphaba. The most celebrated are the rehabilitated. They'll be such a …… whoop-de-doo. A celebration throughout Oz, that's all to do with you!"

My heart leaps. How does he know that that is what I always wanted?

"Wonderful, they'll call you wonderful!" he continues. A small smile tugs at my lips.

"It does sound wonderful…" I admit, my higher, powerful voice joining his. The Wizard's look of glee lasts only for a second.

"Trust me, it's fun!"

"When you are wonderful, it would be wonderful! Wonderful, wonderful" we chorus. The Wizard sweeps me into a wild waltz, and I find that I am almost enjoying myself. The railings suddenly catch my eye.

"I'll accept your proposition" I begin.

"That's wonderful!"

"On one condition"

"Yes?" says the wizard nervously.

"You set those monkeys free!" I order. The Wizard's smile falters, then he nods.

"Done!" he agrees. He pulls the lever and the monkeys flutter out in a loud cacophony of flapping wings and screeches of joy. I feel exhilarated, triumphant….then a bag of what appears to be rags and fur falls at my feet. I crouch down, and curiously examines it. It bleats.

"Doctor Dillamond?" I croak. The eyes of my old History professor lock with mine, and he bleats again. I swallow the lump in my throat and turn to the Wizard.

"You and I have nothing in common! I'm nothing like you and I never will be! And I'll fight you until the day I die!" I declare loudly, my voice soaked in rage. I see the Wizard disappear behind the Oz Head through my blurred eyes.

"Guards! Guards!"


End file.
